malik@star.DEC (Karl Malik ZK01-1/F22 1-1440) (09/07/84)
SUBJ; The Music of Elliott Carter I recently purchased a copy of 'The Music of Elliott Carter' by (his student) David Schiff. It's published by Ernst Eulenburg, LTD London/ Da Capo Press, New York. Costs (shudder) $39.50. It's about 350 pages, and needless to say, gets into Carter's music in some detail. I've read about 160 pages and know more about Carter's form and technique than I thought there was to know. Clearly, it's the most informative book on his techniques, form, etc. And it's reasonably easy to read/understand (if you read music and know intervals, etc.). Two nice anecdotes - Aaron Copland once conducted a performance of Stravinsky's 'Tale of a Soldier' - with Elliott Carter as the soldier and (get this) John Cage as the devil. Funny. Also, Etude VII from 'Eight Etudes and a Fantasy' for woodwind quintet was performed in Warsaw in the 50's. This piece consists of a single note (g) passed between the instruments. It's uses subtle shadings of color and dynamics to keep the piece interesting. Carter refers to himself (jokingly) as the father of modern Polish music. Could this be true? - Karl